Op-ed: After insulting the Arab American mother of a Medal of Honor winner Donald Trump is under pressure from leading Republicans worried that Hillary is building her lead in polls.

“In recent days, Donald Trump disparaged a fallen soldier’s parents,” said Sen. John McCain, who was taken prisoner during the Vietnam War. “He has suggested that the likes of their son should not be allowed in the United States — to say nothing of entering its service. I cannot emphasize enough how deeply I disagree with Mr. Trump’s statement. I hope Americans understand that the remarks do not represent the views of our Republican Party, its officers, or candidates.” Other leading Republicans shared McCain’s comments.

Trump also goofed in several interviews, denying that he was buddies with Russia’s Vladimir Putin. Trump also said Russia would never invade Ukraine.

Both were demonstrable lies, and the networks showed videos and published stories proving that with glee.Trump also is fighting the powerful National Football League, claiming they sent him a letter saying their schedule will interfere with presidential debates. The league published a statement denying it had sent any such letter.

Numerous outlets have published articles saying Trump’s manager, Paul Manafort, has close ties with Putin and the former dictator of Ukraine, who was ousted and now lives in Russia.

The theory has been that even ties to Russia would not hurt Trump; he is invincible.

But some polls Monday had him behind by 7 percent, one even by 11. Reuters-Ipsos had him behind by 6 percent. Last week the Republican-leading Rasmussen site gave Hillary the first ever lead, one percent. It even gave President Obama a positive approval rating.

Real Clear Politics, which averages polls, has dropped Rasmussen.

The 538 poll site, which had shown Hillary dropping, now has her rising again. She had dropped to 51 percent but it now has her at 53, based on polls. That means she has a 53 percent chance to win. Its analytic forecast gives her a 62 percent chance to win.

Bernie Sanders “victory” string in obscure caucuses is coming to an end, and it showed in Thursday night’s debate with Hillary Clinton.

Sanders lost it so often he appeared to be imitating the Muppets’ Oscar the Grouch, though he was not standing in a trash can.

The media has hyped the lightly attended caucuses, in mostly white, smaller states, to keep the campaign alive.

Even if the polls prove even slightly accurate in next week’s New York primary – showing Clinton leading by 17 percent – it will take all of the pundits’ 24-hour coverage to resurrect Sanders.

The public may be losing interest, even when the yelling starts. Clinton’s lead has risen to 17 points despite being accused by Sanders, for a day or two, of not being qualified to be president.

“As the primary approaches, the back and forth between Clinton and Sanders hasn’t dramatically changed the New York contest for the Democrats in the last few days,” said Lee M. Miringoff, director of The Marist College Institute for Public

Opinion.

The media has already started shifting the narrative to focus on whether Bernie supporters will stay home on election day. Expect a series of polls taking virtually every possible position.

Some of the same writers have pushed the line that Sanders is bringing out people who don’t usually vote. That could mean Clinton won’t be losing much if they do stay home. The chance of them voting for Donald Trump is virtually zero. If someone else gets the nomination there will be a feast for all writers. What it would mean is entirely unpredictable.

If it is Trump it could be the Republicans are serving the presidency up to the Democrats on a plate.

The combination of support from women, who outnumber and outvote men, could hand one or both houses of Congress over to the Democrats. Hillary would benefit from the prospect of becoming the first woman president.

Daily Show comedian Trevor Noah, commenting on more than 70 percent of women hating Trump, said that included all women, “living and dead…”

Robert Weller

2016 US election news and other news from the USA

Bio

Worked in journalism, including on the Internet, for more than 40 years. Started as a news editor at the Colorado Daily at the University of Colorado, joined a small Montana newspaper, the Helena Independent-Record, and then United Press International.

AP hired me away in 1973 after a couple of years with UPI and I worked with them until 2008. Assignments have included being the leading AP reporter on the Columbine Massacre, bureau chief in Alaska during the construction of the trans-Alaska pipeline, and covering coups, wars and other events overseas for 14 years.

I was top editor on the AP news desk in New York during the last years of the Vietnam War before going to Alaska. From Anchorage I went to Johannesburg to cover apartheid. I spent 14 years in Africa, throughout the continent, and covered the assassination and cremation of Indira Gandhi.

Once back in Colorado I covered the Army and Air Force, Columbine, skiing, arts and the environment. Worked on both sides of the Continental Divide, Denver and Grand Junction.

My main interests are history and arts, especially classical music, theater and opera.

Graduated from William Jewell College with a B.A. in history.

In addition to my travels as a writer I was a military brat and moved around with my father and mother.

My wife and I have twins, who keep us up-to-date on new trends.

I follow events around the world and have a huge collection of bookmarks that include many overseas sites.

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